Pneumatic feeder



March 5, 1935. c N, CIOLINO PNEUMATIC FEEDER Filed Oct. 27, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 72630517. Ciolino,

March 5, 1935. Q CIOLINQ 1,993,240

PNEUMATIC FEEDER Filed 001;.27, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Cbafies/L aioiino,

Patented Mar. 5, 1935 ouireio TAT ES mess-240 PNEUMATIC FEEDER} charles N. Ciolino, Garfield,;N. J., assignoratd f A., Gutierrez, Inc., P,assaic,=N. ;J.,; a corporation of New Jersey Application October '27, 1 932, Serial--No.-639;920-

I 7 Claims.

,Thednvention relates to feeding devices for .small articles whichare to be removed from a stock or other accumulationof stock, and fed'to apparatus for treatin for printing or forming 5 article'sfurther. It isafspecial purpose to present a machine adapted tofeed env'elopesto a carrier, removing them from a -stack, one at a time, and delivering them to a carrier adaptedto hold :them individually in a fixed position to 10 receive an impression or'other treatment.

It is an important aim. of the invention to offer-sucha feeder peculiarly adapted to operate ,-.withfthe extremely thinand flimsy envelopes or ""tubes in which cigars are packed for retail Sale.

It is also a purpose to construct a feeder which will require .a minimum of space-for the accommodation and movement of stock. A still further/{aim is'to evolve a device for the functions required which will be extremelysimple in construction, and ;readily tended by inexperienced'ope'ratives, as well as maintained in service '{at .a .low cost for repairs an'd replacements, which will be low cost for manufacture and ,25 in tallation. .511; 'isalsoan important. purpose-to Iprovidej such apparatus. which will be readily .adaptableto various sizesof stock, and different fmaterials'. I

Additional objectshadvantages. and features of ..30 invention; reside in the construction, arrangejment and combination of parts involved. in the J I r shaft and abutting the head 20, there isa s ationary, manifol djorsuction; and relief head or jblook',25fhavingaplaniforminner-facesetsnugly against the outersideflfacegof the head-20. In

theinner sidef'face ofthis block;25 there; is formed -enchodiinent of theginvention as will be underpstoodfrom the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein Figurel is a-perspective View of ,ment of. the invention.

Figure 2. isalside elevation thereof with a Qpartjbrokenaway. f fFigu're 3 an enlarged detailofthe roll at disone *embodi- Q charge position.

Figure '4' is a longitudinal section of 'theshaft, roll and mounting.

relief port block. I

Figure fi a similar viewof the rotating valve .jhead of the rollershaft.

,ble 110, which may be the platen ,or'may be. at-

lftached to the .platen, of "a 'stamping or printing .,50 ,machine, the details of which are not illustrated.

"The'ta'blehas-two parallelslots ll'therethrough. p i v H pump of any suitable kind, not illustratedadapted to'fe'xhaust jair throughthe shaft andpipe. ;$p ace d a distance 1 circumferentially from the channel I at f the same distance "from the shaft,

and mounted on the under side of the table there is a pairof sprockets 12 carryingparallel con- Iveyor chains j 13 having links 14 at intervals from which the arms15 project upwardlythrough the table slots, jan'd above "the tab1e';.a suitableidistance.

v These arms are uniformly spaced in each 'chain, and thearms of'the' two-'chainsnaretransversely 'alined'in "pairs, .each pair 0111a line at right"angles to" the slots 11. 5

At each side or .thetableiibearings 1,6 and 17 laremounted, journalledjin which there is a shaft (19 hollow" throughout its middle part and1beyond thebearingild at oneside. Collars, -19 are pinned to j the shaft "to re'tainuit against sliding jmo've- 1 ,ment in the.'bearings,and? immediatelyfoutward "of thebearing 16 a rotating headf20}intheform 'of ,a' thick vmetal discjis fixed on the ;shaft and suitably united therewith :to seal the junction airtight. The head is formed with a planjiform .15 Quterside face through-which at a distance'from the shaft a port ,'21 opens from 'a ,passage 22,

leading into thelshaft. .Qnthe middle partlof the shaft there is jmounted affeed -rol1'23 also sealed atitsjunction with the-shaft, especially 20 at the ends, .anjcl through the 'periphery. f the rollfjat oneline'there is..a longitudinal series of suction holes 24, communicating with 'the interior of the "shaftyas' shown' ,This-roll has'its lower gper'ipheryia distance below the upper, vex- .25 jtremities of the arms, 15,;an'd, stops. short of the 5 table. laboutjhalf 1an"inch, more ,jor f less, though fitjriayhecloser or more distant if desired. The

" roll is fat I a length. slightly less] than the distance between theslots 11, and is equally. spaced'thejre- 30 between. Set revolub'ly onithe outer -part 'off'the an arcuate channel 26 concentric'withthe shaft and spaced therefro'm thasameidistance a's the port 21,j withjwhich zit registers on eachhrotation of 'thehead 'Z'O. Thechannel extends over aA radius of "degrees," more 'or less,',this channel I H and the port 21 Qbein' lso located with respect Figure-5' is a face view of the air suction and flto the holes in the'rollIthat in-rotation of, the roll and shaft counter clockwiseas viewedffin Figures '1, 2, ;and .3, the fp'ort21 "will fentefr .into;.4 ,lap relation tofthe .ch'anne1j26 whe'n thejholes There is illustrated a machine including a tag or box 30 'tof'be described. An' air pipe '27 is 24 of t r0 1arejmovinei wa p t e. chute e a e i st p e' o n n i heflp riph ry channel 26. [I'hepipe 27 leads't an exhaust 35 to hold the chute at adjusted positions.

and in the counter clockwise direction mentioned, there is a relief port 28 opening through the inner side face of the head and also through the outer face thereof, communicating with the atmosphere. 7

The shaft 18 is extended a material distance outwardly of the head 25, and has mounted at the extremity a driven sprocket '29 on which there is engaged a chain which is to be operated from the same source as the conveyor chains 13, so that the roll rotates once for each pair of arms 15 passing thereunder.

The sprocket 29 is formed at the inner side with a suitable anti-friction device 31, and between this and the head 25 there is confined a helical spring 32 engaged around the shaft loosely or in spaced relation to 'th'e shaf t, so that it compresses the block 25 against the head 20, while the shaft and head rotate.

3 An inclined stock chute or box is mounted on, the table, consisting of a planiform plate '34 set on the inclined upper edges of brackets 35 forming parts of the bearings 16 if desired, secured on the upper side of the table 10, and projecting longitudinally of the slots 11 outwardly from the table a distance. The plate has pivot cars. 36 secured on the under side pivoted on pintles 3'7 at'the extreme outer upper parts of the brackets so that it may be adjusted around this axis, and has depending flat longitudinally slotted tongue brackets 38 lying closely beside the brackets'35 and receiving therethrough the studs 39 having wing nuts 40 thereon by which the tongues 38 are clamped'against the brackets The lower or inner edge of theplate 34 swings very close to the roll 23, and has transversely adjustable on its upper face two parallel vertical guide strips or plates 41, each provided with laterally projected longitudinally slotted arms 42 fixed thereon and set snugly and slidablyon the upper face of the plate 34. Studs 43 are set'near the outer lateral edges of the plate 34 projecting upwardly through the slots of the arms, and having wing nuts 44 thereon by which the plates '41 are held in adjusted positions to accommodate Wider or narrowe'rstock. The upper edges of the plates 34 are turned in to form retaining flanges 45, which also stiffen the plates, these flanges stopping a distance inwardly from the lower edge of the plate 34. The end portions of a the plates 41 are bent inwardly at right angles in a plane vertical to that of ,the plate 34 and 'alined with the lower edge of the latter plate,

these inturned'parts serving as foot flanges 46 to partly support stock lying between the plates 41, as will be further explained.

The stock 47 in the present instance consists of long narrow flat-folded tubes or envelopes such as are used for enclosing cigars, and are customarily formed of transparent cellulose material.

flanges 48 at their upper ends longitudinally slotted and having adjustable thereon retainer strips 50 by means of thumbscrews 49, each consisting of a strip of thin sheet metal, planiandmove past the ends of the'strippers.

form and rectilinear, resting on the top edges of the stock 47, the lower ends of the strips 51 being slightly curved upward from the stock. At their upper ends the strips are provided with lateral upwardly inclined arms 52 pivoted on sliding plates 53 held on the flanges 48 by the thumbscrews 49 and comprising the base pieces of the strips 50. By this arrangement the strips 50 may lie across the upper edges of the tube stock 47 throughout the chute, excepting the lowermost tubes.

In addition, stripper springs or fingers 54 are provided, mounted adjacent the upper end of the chute so as to press resiliently upon the lowermost tubes in the stock 47, and having attenuated' extremities the terminal end portions 54' of which are turned upward on a short radius, so that while pressing on the next to the last tube in the stock, or upon the second or third adjacent one, the last one will be relieved of contact andthe ends of the stripper will be inclined upwardly from the stock over the last tube. The strippers also terminate very close to'the roll 23 and may project beyond the plane of the foot flanges 46. The mounting of the strippers consists of a transverse bar 55 mounted in upstanding brackets 56 at respective sides of the plate 34.' Two collars 57 are revolubly and slidably mounted on the bar, and held adjustably thereon by set screws 58. The ends of the stripper fingers 54 are secured on flats 59 of these collars, so that by rotating adjustment of the collars the tension of the springs may be varied, and by sliding adjustment of the collars the strippers may be accommodated to the width of the stock between the plates 41. V

In operation, a suitable exhaust being connected to the pipe 2'7 a vacuous condition will be produced at proper intervals or may be maintained in the channel 26, so that each time the port 21 laps the channel air will be drawn in through the holes 24 of the roll 23 causing the then adjacent bottom tube of the stock in the chute to be held'firmly to the roll. The tube thus engaged and held on the roll will be therebymoved upwardly against the extremities of the strippers 54, lifting and flexing these slightly, the tube body being also caused to bend outwardly The tube will be carried over the top of the roll, being inverted from its original position, carried downwardly toward the table 10, and under the roll partly, where it will be discharged just in advance of two approaching arms 15. ,Beforethe tube is released or discharged from the roll, the

,port 21 will have. passed beyond the channel 26 and will be closed against the face of the head 25 between the channel and the port 28 momentarily, The elasticity of air will cause the Vacuous condition to be maintained in theroll and shaft 18, however, for a time, and the tube will consequently be held to the roll until the port 21 laps 'theport 28 by which atmospheric pressure is admitted to the roll, which will by air piston action cause the tube 47 on the roll to be discharged against the table 10 where it may be engaged by the next. two arms 15 passing.

If desired, air under pressure may be supplied at the outer side of the port 28, so that more positive movementof the work from the roll is secured.

I claim:- 7 V 1. In a feed apparatus, an inclined stock chute for stacked articles, a transverse roll at the bottom thereof having its periphery presented'to the bottom of the stack, a means to rotate the roll, means below the roll to convey stock in a direction opposite the movement of the adjacent roll face, suction openings on the face of the roll in a longitudinal series of limited extent circumferentially of the roll, and means to exhaust air from said openings while opposed to the stack and during movement of the roll therefrom to a lower part thereof, and to release the work'at the lower limit of feed movement under the roll;

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said means to convey stock is a conveyor device mounted for movement horizontally beneath said roll in a direction opposite that of the adjacent part of the roll, said conveyor having transversely spaced pairs of arms to engage articles from the roll. I

3. The structure of claim 1 in which a plurality of stripper springs are mounted over the upper part of the chute, inclined downwardly toward the chute, and having attenuated extremities projected close to the roll spaced from the latter less than the thickness of a unit of stock to be fed, and being slightly curved upward at the extreme tips, whereby to press on the edges of stacked fiat articles and the like close to the roll, and to engage an article when lifted by the roll and cause fiexure of a flexible article and also yield thereto by fiexure.

4. In a machine of the character described, the structure of claim 1 in which the roll is provided with a hollow coaxial shaft formed with a rotary valve head having a port thereon communicating with the interior of the shaft, a

stationary block revoluble on the shaft adjacent the head having air passages arranged to lap with the port at times, a seat element fixed on the shaft outwardly of the block and a protractile spring confined between the seat element and the block, an air duct connection with the block, and means to rotate the shaft.

5. In a machine of the character described, the structure of claim 1 in which the roll is provided with a hollow shaft formed with a rotary valve head, having a plane face at right angles to the shaft having a port thereon communicating with the interior of the shaft, a stationary block revoluble on the shaft abutting the head and having air passages arranged to lap with the port at times, a seat element fixed on the shaft outwardly of the block and a protractile spring confined between the seat element and the block, an air duct connection with the block, and means to rotate the shaft. 7

6. A device of the character described, comprising a table, an endless conveyor having a reach movable across the table, a rotary hollow shaft journalled transversely over the conveyor, a roll thereon having a periphery close above the table and formed with a longitudinal series of air openings in the periphery communicating with the interior of the shaft, an inclined plate having its lower part close to the roll, to receive a stack of articles to rest at the periphery of the roll, laterally adjustable chute walls on the plate, and retainers consisting of resilient rectilinear spring strips adjacent each wall adapted to lie on stock between the Walls and each having a lateral arm pivoted n the top edge of the adjacent wall.

'7. In a feed for stacked flat material, an inclined plate, side Walls laterally adjustable thereon to receive stock transversely therebetween, retainer support pieceslongitudinally adjustable on the upper portions of the walls, arms pivoted on the support pieces movable into and outwardly of the space between the walls, and respective resilient rectilinear spring strips extended from the swinging ends of said arms, downwardly to the chute, shaped and positioned to lie fiat across the edges of stock arranged transversely in the chute.

CHARLES N. CIOLINO. 

